Minimalistic Magic

I was never a flashy or showy magician. I’ve always appreciated simplicity in both plot and effect. A while ago, I developed a theory, which I discussed during lectures I gave for magicians, named the 'Miracle Theory'. In this theory, I mention Jesus (apologies, as I’m an atheist, and I hope not to offend anyone; that’s not my intention) and the miracles he performed.

I would explain that when Jesus walked on water, he did it just once. It wasn't like magicians today who would walk on water, return, then proceed to demonstrate there are no cables, walk on water again, return, and so on. They might even show there are no invisible blocks under the water, walk on water again, and come back, etc. You get the idea. Jesus simply walked on water, returned, and that was the miracle. A single, unequivocal demonstration. Ever since I developed this theory, I've tried to apply it to my performances: one trick, one effect. I was done with multi-phase routines, endless climaxes, and convoluted plots that were hard to follow. And I am quite happy with that! Does it truly make a difference to the audience? I like to think so. I mean, if something is repeated over and over, it must mean it’s easy to replicate, right? Thus, there’s no 'magic', no miracle per se. It feels as though there’s no commitment to achieving the effect.

However, there’s a downside: my tricks or routines have become shorter. As a result, I need more tricks in a show to maintain the desired length. Alternatively, I can develop more storytelling, taking the time to properly showcase the trick it deserves, in a world where everything 'has' to be visual but most importantly quick, so we can say 'wow' and move on to the next attention-grabber.